How to Pack Tobacco
Open your can first to check for freshness., Pinch the can between your middle finger and thumb., Snap the tin downward quickly., Open the tin.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Open your can first to check for freshness.
Most dipping tobacco comes in small, hockey puck-shaped tins that are designed to keep the tobacco nice and moist, and the flavor strong.
Chewers and dippers will "pack" the tobacco to one side of the can for a variety of different reasons, but mostly to push all the tobacco to the same place in the tin, making it easier to get a pinch, and because it looks cool.
Packing smokeless tobacco does nothing to keep the tobacco "fresher," and it's perfectly fine if you don't want to pack it.
Packing the tin is mostly a ritual, though it does help to consolidate the tobacco in the tin and makes it easier to tell how much you've got left. -
Step 2: Pinch the can between your middle finger and thumb.
After closing the tin, put the tip of your thumb in the center of the bottom of the tin, and the tip of your middle finger in the center of the top of the tin.
Rotate the tin so it's perpendicular to the ground. , Hold the tin loosely, but firm enough that you won't drop it.
Wrap your pointer finger around the edge of the tin, as if you were going to skip it on the water, like a stone.
While relaxing your pointer finger over the can, move the can up and down quickly.
Start at about shoulder height and move the can downward with a quick jerk.
With each jerking movement, your pointer finger will make a pleasing snap noise on the side of the can.
Repeat several times to get a good pack.
Some dippers will do a slightly different version, snapping it backward, toward the side of the head, as opposed to downward.
Others will flick the tin away from them, like throwing a frisbee.
Experiment some to see what feels most comfortable for you. , The loose tobacco should be packed densely to one side of the tin, making it easy to remove a pinch, no matter how little is left inside.
Then, you're ready to dip and enjoy. -
Step 3: Snap the tin downward quickly.
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Step 4: Open the tin.
Detailed Guide
Most dipping tobacco comes in small, hockey puck-shaped tins that are designed to keep the tobacco nice and moist, and the flavor strong.
Chewers and dippers will "pack" the tobacco to one side of the can for a variety of different reasons, but mostly to push all the tobacco to the same place in the tin, making it easier to get a pinch, and because it looks cool.
Packing smokeless tobacco does nothing to keep the tobacco "fresher," and it's perfectly fine if you don't want to pack it.
Packing the tin is mostly a ritual, though it does help to consolidate the tobacco in the tin and makes it easier to tell how much you've got left.
After closing the tin, put the tip of your thumb in the center of the bottom of the tin, and the tip of your middle finger in the center of the top of the tin.
Rotate the tin so it's perpendicular to the ground. , Hold the tin loosely, but firm enough that you won't drop it.
Wrap your pointer finger around the edge of the tin, as if you were going to skip it on the water, like a stone.
While relaxing your pointer finger over the can, move the can up and down quickly.
Start at about shoulder height and move the can downward with a quick jerk.
With each jerking movement, your pointer finger will make a pleasing snap noise on the side of the can.
Repeat several times to get a good pack.
Some dippers will do a slightly different version, snapping it backward, toward the side of the head, as opposed to downward.
Others will flick the tin away from them, like throwing a frisbee.
Experiment some to see what feels most comfortable for you. , The loose tobacco should be packed densely to one side of the tin, making it easy to remove a pinch, no matter how little is left inside.
Then, you're ready to dip and enjoy.
About the Author
Kyle Shaw
Brings years of experience writing about organization and related subjects.
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